Packaging machine



ay 19 6: s R. HOWARD 2,040,436

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 I w R l I l Mia, @wew.

ATTORNEY May 12. 1936 s. R. HOWARD PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1934 "I Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY May 12, 1936 s. R. HOWARD PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 oS'fiwL ATTORNEY May 12, 1936 5 HOWARD 2,040,436

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR "ATTORNEY May 12, 1936 s. R. HOWARD PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 13, 19:54

7 Sheets She et 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY y 9 6' S.- R. HOWARD 2,040,436

PACKAGING MACHINE Fild April 13, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR ATTORNEY ta-1 QMM May 12, 1936. s. R. HOWARD PACKAGING MACHINE '7 Sheets- Sheet 7 Filed April 13, 1934 mar- INVENTOR v ATTORNEY Hg.13;llg.l5isadetailin Patented May 12,1936

UNITED STATE Stanley 1:. mums. when.

Pnenmafl ,sss 'rscxaomo m clmm 6 M Mala, a corporation Application April 13, 1934, vSerial No. 720,399

'Ihis'invention' relates to a packaging machine and more particularly to a machine for filling packages with flowable solid material.-

' One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved packaging machine in which provision is made for detecting incompletely filled packages by a detecting member which is introduced into the package alter the latter has been filled and for separating incompletely filled packages from the normal discharge oi packages from the machine.- I

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved packaging machine in which provision is made for detecting incompletely filledpackages by thef operation or a plurality of detecting mechanisms adaptedto feel for the contents of the package andtor automatically .sep-

'- aratin'g the incompletely filled packages from the normal discharge of packages'irom the machine,

and also in which provision is preferably made for selectively controlling the operation of the packaging machine from any one detecting members. V With these "general'oblects iniview and such othersas may hereinafter-appear, the invention. consists in the packaging machine and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations'ot parts hereinafter described and particularly defined n the claims at the end of this specification. I r

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiments oi the invention, Fig. 1 is a front elevation oi! a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a wiringdiagram for the trouble indieating devices to'be reierred'to; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of oneiorm of the detecting and separating mec machine; Figs. 4 and 5 are views in side elevation Fig. 9 is a detail or a switchior the trouble indicating mechanism; Fig. 10 is a perspective view and associated mechanism shown in Fig. 1; 'Plg.'11 is a plan view 0! a portion or the machine in 3; l ig l2 is a detail 0 view of the conveyor drive; m. 13in a emu in Plan illustrating-a modified and package which may form a part of the present machine; m lt is a front elevation oi the mechanism ,shownin plan illustrating the of a plurality of nanism forming a part of the present form at detecting I Massachusetts 10 claims. (CL 2H5) s PATENT OFFICE a Mass... assigns! to n.- ummaouincv,

mechanism tor selectively controlling the operation of the packaging hanism; Fig.

shown in Fig. 14, one of the package pushers being shown in operative package push-'- and Fig. 1'! is a ing mec mechanism ing positioni of the mechanism shown machine'irom the detect- 16 is a side elevation of the detail'of a portion in Fig. 15.

In general, the invention contemplates a pack aging machine which may include preferred form of package filling mechanism such as the package filling well known weighing uring machines now upon v both of which provisionis successive loads into successive packages as the any usual. or

10 mechanism embodied in the machines and in the measthe market, and in made for introducing m latter "are automatically ied:. into the machine y the usual incoming have been introduc ages and their loads are an irom the machine upon a'discharge conveyor. Inasmuch as the details of the package filling mechanisms invention, it is of self conveyor. After, the loads ed into the packages, the packmatically conveyed 20 form no PM 0,! .the present believed sumclent to state that.

such mechanisms may operate in accordance with the operation of any usual or preferred form now upon the market, and only a sufiicient portion stood.

of such mechanisms specifically refer features oi the will be hereinafter more red to as willenahle the dififerent present inventionto. be underpresent invention. provision is made for detecting incompietelyfilled packagesin a chine.

with

intermingling groups ofrtwo' and weighed is supp ho noveland improved manner and for segregating the incompletely filled packages to prevent the filled packages filled packa es being Another feature of the a plurality of detector mechadetect the contents or a group oi such. incompletelythe normal and completely discharged from the ma.-

inverition contem and to efiect the separation packages. being discharged packages which are inand also preferably for eiiecting 'filling'mechanism per se sitwith the detection of an by any one of the pluted in the usual manner I ll, Thefiowoi'themate- I2 i'scontsolledby suitable and locking the scales in accordance with the 7 common practice in the usual forms of automatic weighing machines now upon the market. After the four loads have been weighed upon the scales l2, the loads are dumped through discharge chutes l6 into packages l8 properly positioned beneath the discharge chutes by an incoming conveyor 20. For the purposes of the present inven tion it is believed to be suificient to state that the weighing mechanism is driven by a motor 22 through a belt connection to a shaft 24 and thence through suitable gearing 25 to a main drive shaft 26. From this shaft 26 the gate operating mechanism, the scale resetting and locking mechanism, and the stirring devices within the hoppers (all not shown), are driven so that the operation of the entire weighing mechanism is controlled by the shaft 26 in accordance with usual practice.

' upon an arm 42'secured on and the latter is adapted to be rocked by a cam 46 through a cam roll 40 and chain drive Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, the movement of the packages-through the machine and into and from filling position is effected as follows. The machine is provided with the .belt 20 which serves as an incoming conveyor and asa discharge conveyor for normal packages, and the machine is also provided with a short discharge conveyor 39 mounted to run over pulleys 32, 34, one of which is secured upon the driving shaft 36 by which the main belt 20 is driven, so that both belts 2|], 30 are driven together in the same direction. Provision is made as will be described for .detecting incompletely filled packages and for automatically transfen-ing such packages onto the second belt 30 to be discharged from the machine in a path separate from the normal discharge of the packages by the belt 20.

In order to drive the conveyor belts 20 and 30, a motor 38 is provided connected by a sprocket 39 to one member of a clutch 4| free on the short shaft 43. The second member of the clutch 45 is formed as a part of a sleeve adapted to be moved on the shaft by a yoke 41 connected by a link to a latter having a cam roll 55 which cooperates with a. driven cam 51, see Fig. 12. The cam- 51 is mounted upon the control shaft 52 and the cam 51 is so designed as to interrupt the movement of the belt during substantially all of the. package filling and package detecting operations above described, while maintaining the belts in operation during the remaining operations of the machine. As illustrated in Fig. 12, the short shaft 43 is connected by bevel gears 59, 6| to the main drive shaft 36' upon which the two driven pulleys for the belts 20 and 39 are mounted. I

As shown in Fig. 10, a line of packages to be filled is conveyed by the belt 26 into the machine from any suitable source of supply, and in prac-' tice from the usual bottom sealing machine, and in order to segregate the packages into groups of four, provision is made for holding back the line of packages being fed into th machine, as herein shown by a package engaging member 46 mounted a short shaft 44,

mounted upon the shaft .44,a suitable spring 59 being provided to hold the cam roll againstjthe cam. The cam46 is mounted upon the control shaft 52 and the control shaft 52"is driven in timed relation to the operation of the weighing mechanism through connections including a driving chain 54 running around sprockets 56, -53.

cam arm 53, the

. 90,92 are positioned so on an arm- 49 also r package from the forward end of the line of pack-- ages being conveyed into the machine so as to hold back the remainder of the line and to permit the group of four packages to be movedby the belt against a stop member 60. The stop member 60 is mounted upon the upper end of a shaft pivotally mounted in a bearing member 64 secured to rock with a shaft 66. The shaft 62 is connected by linkage including an arm 68, a link 69 having a yielding connection to one arm 1| of a bell crank, the second arm 12 of which is connected by a second link 13 to a bell crank 14, and the second arm of the bell crank 14 is connected by a link to a toggle '16, the latter being connected to a pawl stop 16 adapted, when the toggle is straightened, to be positioned in the path of the tail of the usual pawl 19 to hold it from engagement with the ratchet wheel 80. The pawl and ratchet 19, 80 comprise elements of the usual pawl and ratchet drive for the shaft 26. The bell crank 1|, 12 is counter-weighted by the counter-weight 82 and the parts are so arranged that the stop member 60 until engaged by the first of the group of packages being advanced by the through the linkage tail of the pawl 19 and into the position shown in Fig. 10, permitting the shaft 26 to be driven and the various operations of the machine to continue. In the event, however, that no package is advanced against the stop 60, then thepawl stop 18 ispermitted to remain in the path of the tail of the pawl and the pawl and ratchet clutch is disengaged. The machine is also provided with two additional stop members 90, 92 mounted upon arms 93, 94, respectively, the latter being secured upon the shaft 66,.and the stops packages in the second filling station and in the detecting station respectively, as will be apparent from inspection of Fig. 1. In the illustrated machine the filling mechanism is arranged so that the first two packages of the group of four packagesretained by the stop 69 are filled at that station while the last two packages of the group are filled when the group 'is'positioned at the second filling station, being retained in such position by the stop 90. The shaft 66 for operating all of the stops 60, 90 and '92 simultaneously is arranged to be rocked by an operating cam 96 on the control shaft 52 through a cam roller 91 on a cam arm 98 secured to the shaft 66 and a spring 99 serves to keep the cam roller in engagement with the cam. I

' Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, provision is made for pushing agroup of the filled packages, and as herein shown, of a group of four packages, from the main discharge belt 2| over onto the auxiliary belt 30 upon the detection of an incomplete filling cf any one of the packages.

For this'purposethe machine is provided with a group package pusher llljmounted'upon a puslfer rod 2 which is actuated by acam H4 loosely mounted onthe shaft I20. The rod 2 is conin Fig. 10 This piv- 18 and operates ,to

as to retain groups of the until acted upon by the ratchet I I3.

provided to impart a substantially straight line motion to the group package pusher I I0. The cam II4 carries a spring pressed pawl III which is arranged to engage with a ratchet II3 secured on the shaft I20. The purpose of this construction is to'permit the cam II4 to be disengaged, from the ratchet 3 until an incompletely filled package is detected; as will be described. I

The shaft I20 upon ratchet I I3 are mounted is driven from the motor 22 through gearing I24 and a sprocket andchain drive I26,"as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 14, so that the shaft I20 is continuously rotated during the operation of the machine. The cam I I4 is mounted free to turn on the shaft I20 and provision is made for holding the cam from turning, from frictional engagement or otherwise, when not acted upon by the ratchet I I3. As herein shown, a roller II'I carried by an arm H9 is arranged to bear against the periphery of the cam I I4, and is yieldingly urged against the cam by a spring I23. At the end of the pusher cycle the roller I I1 engages with a recess I25 cut in the periphery of the cam to thereby retain the cam in this position I The mechanism for detecting incompletely filled packages in the tioned at the detecting station and which are held by the stop 92 (Fig. 10) includes a plurality of detecting members I30 each being herein shown as comprising a curved bar having a bearing member I32 on the end thereof and which is adapted in one position ofthe mechanism to extend down into the individual packages of the group and in another positionv to be completely withdrawn, such positions being indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. Each detecting member I30 is mounted in a supporting member I34 adjustable in and forming a part of a bell crank mounted free to turn upon a supporting shaft I36 journaled in bearing I38 and standards I40 forming a part of the machine frame. The detecting member I30.is raised into the position shown in Fig 5 by an operating cam I42 mounted upon the shaft 52 through a cam roller I43 on a cam arm I44 connected by a link I45 and swivel connection I46 to an 'arm I41 secured to the shaft I36, as shown. In this manner the shaft I36 is oscillated during the operation of the machine. Each supporting member I34 in which the detector is mounted is swung upwardly when the shaft I36 is thus rocked through the connections described by an individual arm I48 secured to the shaft I36 and having a contacting screw I49 adjustably mounted therein which is arranged to engage the underside of the supporting member I34 and to rock the same upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5. A spring I4I holds the cam roller I43 against its cam I42. v

The downward movement of each -detector comprises the detecting stroke, and in the event that a package is incompletely filled the bearing of the detector I30 is weight of the parts,

member I32 upon the end permitted to fall under the the supporting member I34 being free to turn on the shaft,l36. As the bearing member I32 de- 'scends, it passes downwardly into the incompletely filled package whichthe cam H4 and group of packages posiintoaposition suchasisilluatrated in Fig. 4, and the movement of the parts into this position is utilized to eflect the operation of the package pusher IIO by which the group of four packages are pushed over onto the secondary or auxiliary belt 30 to be discharged from the machine in a separate path. As herein shown the, supporting member I34 has pivoted thereto a depending rod 200 provided with a forked lower end 202 arranged to straddle a projecting portion of a pin 204 comprising the pivotal pin of a toggle 206. One member of the toggle 206 is pivoted to a pawl stop 208 slidably mounted in suitable bearings in a framework 2 I and which is arranged to be moved into and from the path of the tail of the pawl I I I of the pawl and ratchet clutch I I3 above referred to by the straightening or breaking of the toggle 206. The other members of the toggle are secured to the shaft 226. A spring 2 I 6 is provided to assist in retaining the toggle 206 in its straightened position and for efiecting rapid movement of the toggle into its broken position after the pivot pin 204 has once passed dead center, all as will be apparent from an inspection of'Figs. 4 and 5. In its straightened position the toggle 20G comes in contact with a stop screw 2 I! which holds the toggle from further movement in this direction, as shown in Fig. 6.

From the description thus far it will be appa-- rent, therefore, that when any oneof the detecting members I30 is permitted by an incompletely filledpackage to descend into such a position, as is illustrated in Fig. 4, the end of the slot 202 in the rod 200 operates to force the pivot pin 204 of the toggle 206 downwardly and to cause the pawl stop 208 to be withdrawn from the path of the tail of the pawl III so that the pawl is permitted to engage the ratchet I I3 and effect the movement of the group package pusher I I0 through one cycle of operation. After the detecting operation has. been thus performed the detector I30 is again raised to the position illustrated in Fig. by the operation of the cam I42 through the connections above described, thus lifting the'rod and permitting the toggle 206 to be straightened again and the pawl stop 208 restored into the path of the tail of the pawl I I I until the next incompletely filled package is encountered. As illustrated in Fig. 8, a cam 2 I0 also mounted upon the shaft 52 is connected through a cam roll 220 and connecting link 222 to an arm 224 secured upon the shaft 226 upon which the secondmember of the toggle is mounted.

The upper end of the link 222 is forked and embraces the shaft 52, as shown in Fig. 8. The cam roll 220 is held against the cam 2 I 0 by a spring 220, one end of which is fastened to the link 222, as shown in Fig. 3,'and a second end of which is connected'to a collar 229 mounted free to turn on the shaft-52, and in this manner, the spring 220 operates to raise the toggle into the position the next incompletely filled package is detected.

. As the cam 2 I8 operates during each cycle of the 7 machinethelink 222 is arranged to slide through I52 and one arm thereofis provided aswiv shown in Fig. 5 where the spring 2I6 operates to retain the toggle in its straightened position imtil I joint indicated at I54. A rod I56 is connected at one end to the lever II8-by which the package pusher I I0 is actuated, and is provided with a collar I50 adapted to engage the swivel joint I54 upon forward movement of the-rod I56 when the package pusher is actuated'upon the detection of an incompletely filled package. The rod I 56 is also provided with a second collar I60 and a coil spring I62 is interposed between the coTlar I60 and the swivel joint I54. Upon the detection of an incompletely filled package, therefore, the bell crank I50 is swung to the left, viewing Fig. 11. The second arm I64 is connected by a link I66 to one arm of a bell crank I68, the second arm of which comprises a latch member I61 and is adapted to be swung upwardly, viewing Fig. 3, into a position to hook under the end of the arm H of the bell crank comprising apart of the mechanism for controlling the initiation of the operation 'of the weighing devices and of the weighing mechanism, as above described. The arm I68 is connected to the link I66 through the two collars I69, I10 and spring Hi, all as illustrated in Fig. 3. As a result of this construction, therefore, when an incompletely filled package has been detected and the package pusher has been operated as above described to push the group of packages onto the outgoing belt 30, then the latch I61 is raised into position to hold the arm H of the bell crank from movement under the influence of the incoming packages engaging the stop member 60, as above described. This leaves the group of packages which have been transferred by the package pusher in position on the outgoing belt 30 and the machine will not again resume operation until the latch I61 has been moved into disengaging position by the operator. In order to hold the bell crank I50 in the position in which it has been moved following the operation of the package pusher, as above described, a pivoted spring controlled latch member I12 is provided whichis adapted to engage a finger I14 formed as a part of the bell crank I50 and to hold the bell crank from movement in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 11, until the latch is manually disengaged by the operator. For this purpose a handle I16 is provided to facilitate the disengagement of the latch I12. The coil spring connection I62 is pro vided to permit the rod I56 to travel back with the arm II 8 sliding loosely through a hole in the swivel joint I54, after the bell crank I50 has been latched by the latch member I12 and finger I14.

When the rod I56 moves back the collar I60 attached to the rod I 56 compresses the spring I62 so that when the finger I 14 is released the bell crank I50 will be moved back to its normal position. It may sometimes be desired, under certain conditions of use, to allow the filling machine to continue in its operation without being disturbed by the detecting mechanism and, for this purpose, provision is made for rendering the latch member I12 inoperative. As shown in Fig. 17, a set screw I13 is provided to bear against the handle I16 of the latch member I12. The set screw I13 normally acts as a stop to hold the latch member I 12 in its adjusted position in relation to the finger I 14, but, when it is desired 'to allow the filling machine to continue without being disturbed by the detecting mechanism, the set screw I13 is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 17,-

to hold, the latch member I12 out of the path of the finger I 14. As a result, the bell crank I50 will not be held in the position shown in Fig. 15 and therefore the. latch member I61 will not be held the outgoing belt 30.

pingement of the packages against the stop 60 which moves the bell crank arm 1|, are so timed that the latch I61 is out of the path of movement of the arm 1| when a package strikes the member 60.

In the embodiment of the machine, as thus far described, it will be observed that when one 01 the detecting members detects an incompletely filled package, then the entire group of packages is transferred by the group package pusher onto For some purposes it has been found desirable to transfer only the particular package or packages from the group being tested which are found to'have been incompletely filled, and as illustrated in Figs. 13, 14, 15, and 16, I have illustrated the mechanism preferably employed for accomplishing this result. As therein shown, the machine is provided with four individual package pusher members for pushing the particular packages bf the .group being detected, which are found to have been incompletely filled, over onto the outgoing belt 30. The machine'is also provided with four individual pusher actuating mechanisms which, except as to details tobe pointed out, may be duplicates of the previously described pusher actuating mechanism employed in the embodiment of the invention involving the group package pusher. Each detector 230 is connected with its individual pusher actuating mechanism through connections including the rod 20I, and by reference to Fig. 16 it will be observed that the rod 20I is at its lower end provided with a closed slot pin 205 of the toggle is received so that the toggle 'is raised and depressed engagement of the pin moved positively in both directions.

From the description thus far it will be 0b- 203 in which the pivot served that upon the detection of an incompletely filled package by one or more of the detecting members 230, the individual package pus'hers operatively'connected therewith operate to push such incompletely filled packages onto the outgoing belt 30 while permitting the completely filled packages of the group being tested toremain on the belt 20 to be discharged in the normal manner from the machine.

Provison is made for stopping the machine following the detection of an individual incompletely filled package and the operation of an individual package pusher, and as illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16 this is accomplished by mechanism which may be a duplicate of the mechanism employed in connection with the embodiment of the invention previously described with the excep- 'tion that instead of a direct connection between the rod I56 and the lever II6 oi the package pusher actuating mechanism, a similar rod 256 is provided, see Fig. 15, which is connected to a crossbar 210 pivotally mounted in the upper ends of levers 212, 213, secured to a shaft.21l, and the extended end 214 of one of the leversls connected by a spring 215 to maintain the bar 210 in an outward position in front of the pusher actuating levers II8. As a result of this construction, upon the detection 01' an incompletely filled package and the actuation of an individual package pusher, the bar 210 is engaged by the individual lever H8 or such package pusher and ad vanced causing the bell crank I50 to operate in age.

themanner above described in connection with the latching mechanism illustrated in Fig. 11.

Provision is made in bothembodiments of the invention, as herein illustrated, for indicating the particular package filling mechanism by which a particular package has been incompletely filled .see Figs. 4, 5, 9, and 16, is provided with-a con-' tact member 390 arranged, when the detector has been moved into the package intoaposltion such as to detect an incomplete filling thereof, to engage with an abutment 30! on a pivoted contact member 302 so as to close an electrical circuit at the contacts "3, 3M, and as fllustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 to actuate anv indicating member 306 which may comprise a light, bell, or other instrumentality. by which the particular filling mechanism associated with the particular detector may be readilydetermined by the operator. In this manner the correction of the machine to overcome the incomplete filling oithe packages may be easily and conveniently accomplished. The contact member 302 is held in the closed position, after the supporting member I34 has been rocked to the position shown in Fig. 9, by a counter-weight 308. After the fillingmechanism has been corrected the contact member 302 is manually reset to open the circuit at the contact points 303 and 304. A stop pin 3! is provided, against which the member 302 rests in its open position.

While the preferred embodiments of the pres-'- ent invention have been herein illustrated and.

described, itwill be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a package filling machine, in combine tion, a filling device arranged to simultaneously fill a plurality of packages forming a group, a discharge conveyor for discharging the filled packages from the machine, a plurality of detectors for operating on a group or filled packages to detect incompletely filled packages, and means for separating said group of packages from a line of packages being discharged in the event that any detector detects an incompletely filled pack- 2. In a package tion, a filling device arranged to simultaneously fill a plurality of packages forming a group, a discharge conveyor Ior discharging filled packages from themachine, a plurality of detecting mechanisms for operating upon a group oi packages, each being provided with a ieeler member insertable into the package, and mechanism operatively connected with said feeler members-for removing incompletely filled packages from the line of packages being discharged.

3 In a package filling machine, a filling device arranged to simultaneously fillv a"plurality of packages forming a group, in combination, a discharge conveyor for discharging filled packag from the machine, aplurality of detecting mec ages, each being provided with a feeler member insertable into the package, and mechanism for removing,those packages indicated by said feeler members'as being i'ncompletelyfilled from the line of packages being discharged from the ma- 4. In a package filling machine, in combinafilling machine, in combina-,

pletely filled package.

s for operating upon a group of packtion, a package filling mechanism, for die- I charging the filled packages from the package filling mechanism, detecting mechanism includ- 'ing a reeler insertable into a package for detecting an incompletely filled package, package moving means, connections between said package I moving means and said feeler for effecting the segregation of incompletely-filled packages, and connections between said detecting mechanisms and the package filling mechanism for terminating'the operation of the package filling mechanism in the event that the detecting mechanism detects an incompletely filled package.

5. In'a package filling machine, in combination, a filling device for filling successive packages, a discharge conveyor for discharging the flow of packages from the machine, a plurality of detectors for operating on a group 01 packages to detect incompletely filled packages, means 7 for separating said group 01' packages from a' line ofpackages being discharged in the event that any detector detects an incompletely filled pack-'- age, and means rendered operative by said detectors i'or terminatingthe operation of the package filling mechanism in the event that one of the detectors detects anincompletely filled package.

6. In a' package filling machine, in combination, a filling device for filling successive packages, a discharge conveyor for discharging filled packages from the machine, a teeler member capable 01' being inserted into the package for detecting an incompletely filled package, a package pusher rendered operative by said i'eeler member in the event that it detects an incompletely filled package to remove such package from the line of packages being discharged from the'machine, and connections between said ieeler member and the package filling mechanism for terminating the operation of the latter in the event that the feeler member detects an incompletely filled package. w

'7. In a packagefilling machine, in combination, a filling device for filling successive packages, a discharge conveyor for discharging filled packages from the machine, a plurality of detecting mechanisms for operating upon a group of packages, each being provided with a ieeler 'member'insertable into the package, mechanism operatively connected with said teeler members for removing incompletely filled packages fromthe line of packages being discharged, and connections between said detecting mechanisms and the package'filling mechanism for terminating the operation of the latter in the event that one of the detecting mechanisms detects an incom- 8. In a package filling machine, in combination, a package filling mechanism arranged to simultaneously fill a plurality of packages forming a group, means for discharging filled packages i'rom the machine, a plurality 01' detecting mechanisms for simultaneously operating upon a group of packages being discharged, each be. ing provided with a ieeler insertable into the package, and connections between said detecting mechanisms and the package filling mechanism for terminating the operation of the latter in the event that an incompletely filled package is detected by any of the detecting mechanisms.

, 9. In, a package filling machine, in combinaticn, package filling mechanism, means for convey ng the filledpackages from the package filling mechanism, detecting'mechanism, means operatively connected therewith or terminating the operation of the package filling mechanism in the event that the detecting mechanism detects an incompletely filled package, and manually operated means for rendering the last mentioned means inoperative under. certain conditions or use.

10. In a package filling machine, in combination, package filling mechanism, means for discharging the filled packages from the package the event that any of the detectors detects an incompletely filled package, and means under the 5 control 01' the operator for rendering said last mentioned means inoperative under' certain conditlons of use.

- STANLEY R. HOWARD. 

